Door locking mechanism



May 19 1942.

w. M. BARBou DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM 9 Sheeis-Sheet 1 Filed July 20, 1939 y 1942- I w. M. BARBOUR DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM heat 2 Filed July 20, 1939 9 Sheets-S I! 1/ I I Z Q Z M y w. MQB ARBOUR 2,283,596

DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM 1 I v Filed July 20, 1959 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ill/I12 W/Ll/HM M. animal/R;

May 19, 1942;.

' W. M. BARBOUR noon LOCKING MECHANISM 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Ju 1y 20, 1939 y w. M. BARBOUR 12,283,596

- boon LOCKING MECHANISM I Fi led July zO, i939 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 19, 1942'.

W. M. BARBOUR DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM Filed July 20, 1939 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 W/zu/mnanmsom,

y 9, 1942. w. M.-BAR BOUR DOOR LQCKING MECHANISM Filed July 20, 1959 9 Sheets-Sheet '7 If I Ill 7 16 WILL mm M. BHITB'OUR,

w. M. BARBOUR KING MECHANISM May 19, 1942.

" noon'mc Filed July 20, 1939 9- Sheets-Shet 8 Patented May 19, 1942 DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM William M. Barbour, Roanoke, Va.

Application July 20, 1939, Serial No. 285,616

13 Claims. (or 70-264) 6 operation of the door locking mechanism may all of the doors under the control of the mechanism are closed. v

Another feature of the invention consists in providing one of the doors with key operated means for controlling the operation of the looking mechanism.

A further feature of the invention consists in providing a vehicle with locking mechanism mounted in 'a stationary or fixed part thereof for preventing the latching devices of a plurality of doors from being operated from the outside of the vehicle, the means for operating the looking mechanism being mounted on one of the doors.

Other and more specific features of the'invention, residing in advantageous forms, combinations and relations of parts, will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, of a door jamb and adjoining portions'of a pair of doors, illustrating the locking mechanism in unlocked position.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on a'line corresponding to line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on a line corresponding to line 33 of Figure 2 and showing a portion of one of the adjacent doors.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 (omitting the doors) of the locking mechanism which is applied to the vehicle on the side opposite to which the mechanism illustrated in Figure 1 is applied and which is operable by the latter mechanism.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on a line corresponding to line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a composite view of the two mechanisms respectively disposed on opposite sides of the car, both of the mechanisms being illustrated in a locking position.

Figure '7 is a View, partly in section, illustrating the latching device of one of the doors and a portion of the locking mechanism in locked position.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the locking mechanism in inoperative position and the parts of the latching device in the positions they respectively occupy when the latch bolt is retracted by means operable from the outside of the vehicle.

Figure 9 is a View similar to Figure 8 with the exception that the parts of the latching device are shown in the positions they respectively occupy when locked from the inside of the car.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 8 with the exception that the parts of the latching device:

are shown in the positions they respectively occupy when the latch bolt is retracted by means operable from the inside of the car. T

Figure 11 is a side elevational view of the means for operating the locking mechanism.

Figure 12 is an end elevational View of the structure illustrated in Figure ll.

Figure 13 is a sectional view taken on lip Iii-l3 of Figure 11.-

Figure 14 is a sectional view taken I-l l of Figure 13.

v Figure 15 is a sectional i5-I5 of Figure 11'. c

Figure 16 is a side elevational viewof the supporting bracket or member on which the looking mechanism is mounted.

Figure 17 is a front elevational View of the bracket illustrated in Figure 16.

Figure 18 is a side elevational 'view of the vertically movable members of the locking mechanism.

Figure 19 is a front'elevational view of member illustrated in Figure 18.

View taken on line the Figure 20 is a plan view of the member illustrated in Figure 18.

Figure 21 is a sectional view taken on line 2l2l of Figure 18.

Figure 22 is a side elevational view of another movable member of the locking mechanism.

Figure 23 is a front elevational view of the member illustrated in Figure 22.

Figure 24 is an enlarged sectional view take on line 24 24 of Figure 23.

Figure 25 is a sectional View taken on line 25-25 of Figure 24.

Figure 26 is a view, partly in section and partly tive of the locking mechanisms of the character.

illustrated in Figures 26 to 28, inclusive, as applied to opposite sides of a vehicle.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

1 and 2 respectively indicate a pair of hinged on 3 line one of doors of a vehicle which are mounted to have their free edges disposed adjacent an interposed jamb 3 when the doors are closed. Mounted on the door jamb are a pair of oppositely disposed keepers which are respectively engageable by latch bolts 5 of the latching devices with which the doors are provided.

The latch bolt on each door is slidably supported by a rivet or bolt 6 extending within an elongated slot 1 adjacent the rear of the latch and by having its forward end 8, which cooperates with the associated keeper 4, extend through a suitable aperture in the end wall 9 of one of the housing plates N3 of the latching device.

I Each latching device is provided with a spring II for normally maintaining the latch bolt in an operative position for cooperating with its keeper and a pair of rotatable'members' l2 and I3 are provided for selectively retracting the latch bolt into an inoperative position, member l2 being revoluble by conventional means (-not shown) from the outside of the door and member 13 being revoluble by similar conventional means (not shown) from the inside of the door. Member I2 is formed with a finger M which, upon rotation of the member in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 7 to 10, in-

elusive, is adapted to engage a. lug or the like l5 projecting upwardly from adjacent the forward end of the latch bolt and thereby retract the latch. Similarly member -83 is provided with a finger l6 which is adapted, upon rotation -of the member in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figures '7 to 10, inclusive, to engage a formed. A spring 2| maintains member 18 in inoperative position but it is adapted to be projected forwardly by a projection 22 on member I3, when the latter is rotated in a clockwise direction, into overlapping relation with the upper face of a lug 23 preferably formed integrally with rotatable member I2. When in this position, as shown in Figure 9, member H3 effectively prevents rotation of member L2, and thus prevents the door from being unlatched from the outside of the car. The rear end of member 18 is preferably inclined so that it will efliciently cooperate with projection '22 of member l3 and it is formed with a recess of notch 24 into which the outer end of projection 22 is adapted to extend to maintain member is in its locking posi-- tion.

For a purpose which will herei-nafter appear, the latching device of each door is also provided with a sliding member 25 which may be supported in any suitable manner, such, for example, as by rivets 26 which extend through elongated slots 21 formed in the member. Adjacent its forward end, member 25 has a depending lug '28 engageable with another finger 29 which is preferably formed integrally with member l2, so that, when the latter is actuated toretract the latch bolt5, the forward end of member 25 is projected beyond the free edge of the door through an aperture in the end wall 9 of the housing plate 1.0. When the means (not shown) for operating the latch bolt to return to its inoperative position, member 25 is retracted by a spring 30 so that its forward end no longer projects beyond the free edge of the door. While it will be perceived that each time member [2 is operated to retract the latch bolt 5, the forward end of member ZB will be projected beyond the free edge of the door, rotation of member l3 to retract the bolt 5 will produce no such movement of member 25.

Mounted on the jamb 3, which is interposed between the free edges of the doors 1 and 2, ismechanism operable from the outside of the vehicle for simultaneously locking both of the doors against being opened from the outside of the vehicle. This mechanism may be conveniently mounted on a bracket 3| whichis preferably in the form of an open loop having a rear wall- 32 secured to the jamb by bolts 33 and upper and lower front walls to and 35, respectively. Journaled in the rear wall 32 and the upper front wall '34 of the bracket 3! is a shaft 3! having anintermediate portion which is prefer-- a'bly square in cross section (and extends through an opening of similar shape in a rotatable elongated locking block or member 38. Normally this block is disposed in a substantially vertical position, as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, butit is adapted to be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction through suitably lo-' cated apertures 39 in the; door jamb into a substantially horizontal position, as indicated in Figure 6. In this position, the outer ends of the block are respectively disposed in contiguous relationship with the forward ends of the members 25 of the latching devices vof the respective doors so as to prevent those members from beingprojected beyond the free edges of' the doors. By preventing members 25 from being moved in this manner, the doors are securely locked against being opened from the outside of the car for, to do this, it is necessary to rotate members l2 to retract the latch bolts 5 and this can not be accomplished without causing members 25 to-be projected beyond the free edges of the door. It will thus be seen that effective means is provided on the door jamb for simultaneously looking both doors against opening movement from the outside of the vehicle.

shaft 31. The lug 42 is eccentric with respect the rotatable member [218 released to enable to the axis of shaft 31 so that, when member 40 is reciprocated vertically, the shaft and, therefore, the locking block 38 will be caused to r0- tate.

To slidably connect member at] with bracket 3|, the upper end thereof is formed so as to extend within an elongated slot M in the upper front wall 34 of bracket 3| and the lower portion of the member is provided with a substantially vertical plate-like portion 45 which extends into slots 45 formed in the rear wall 32 andrthe lower front wall 35 of the bracket. The upper end of member 60 which projects through slot 44 in the upper front wall of the bracket has upper and' lower vertically spaced portions 4'! and 48 respectively. The lower portion d8 which extends through .the slot is of less width than the adjoining main :body portion .of the member so as to fit within the slot, while the upper portion 4'! which is interposed between the rear and front upper walls of the bracket is of greater width than the slot so as to overlappingly engage the inner face of the upper front wall and thus prevent member 49 from being disconnected from the bracket so long as it remains in its normal position. To assemble member 49 with bracket 3|, it is first necessary to dispose the member at substantially right angles to the bracket, then insert the ofiset upper end thereof through the slot 44 and subsequently rotate the member with respect to the bracket until the plate portion 45 thereof is in alignment with the slots 45 in the lower portion of the bracket, at which time the lower end of the member is moved toward the bracket to cause its plate portion to enter the slots 49;

While any suitable means may be mounted on the outside of the jamb to reciprocate member 40 in order to actuate the locking block 38,- it is preferred to actuate member 49 by key operated means carried by one of the doors. For this purpose, a member 49 is rotatably mounted upon a pin 59 between the rear wall 32 and the lower front wall 35 of bracket 3|. Member 49 is provided with laterally projecting portions and 52 respectively disposed on opposite sides of the pivot pin 59 and with an arm 53, the forward end of which is bifurcated, as at 54, to straddle the hub portion 55 of a member 59 rotatably mounted upon a pin carried by a plate-like member 58 havin flanged ends 59 disposed within notches or recesses 69 formed in the upper and lower edges of the plate portion 45 of the vertically movable member 49. By this construction, it will be apparent that rotation of member 49 will cause member 49 to move vertically and thereby actuate the locking block 39.

To limit the extent of rotation of member 49 and thus control the extent of movement of member 49, the rotatable member 59 is formed with an arm or the like El which extends within a cored recess in member 49 and also with laterally projecting shouldered portions 92 which are adapted to abut portions of plate member 58 on opposite sides of a slot 63 formed in the latter to receive a part of the hub portion 55 of member 59. As rotation of member 49 will induce rotation of member 56, it will be seen that, by providing the latter with shoulders 63 for limiting its rotation, simple and reliable means is afforded for limiting rotation of member 49.

Plate member 58 is connected to plate portion of the vertically movable member 49 by rivets or the like 64. Interposed between the face of plate member 45 opposite to the one overlapped by plate 58 and the heads 65 on'the adjacent ends of rivets 94 are compression springs 66 which, in addition to permitting plate member 59 to move laterally with respect to the plate portion 45 during rotation of member 49, will function to draw plate member 59 back against plate portion 45 after member 49 has been rotated through a little more than one-half of its arc of travel so as to impart a snap action to the latter member.

Mounted on one of the doors is key controlled mechanism for actuating the rotatable member 49 which includes a pair of reciprocable bolts 61 and 68 for respectively cooperating with the laterally projecting portions 5| and 52 of the member 49. The bolts 61 and 98 are slidably mounted between a base plate 69 and a cover plate 19, the inner ends of each bolt being formed with elongated slots H for receiving supporting rivets- 72 '61 and 68.

and the forward ends'of the bolts being movable within a rectangular opening formed in the end wall '13 of the base plate 69c To cause' the bolts 61 and 68 to ously move in opposite directions, a'pair of gears 14 are revolubly mounted on the outside of the cover plate 19, each of the gears being preferably provided with oppositely projecting trunnions which are respectively journaled in the cover plate and in an auxiliary plate 15 secured to the cover plate in overlapping relation to the outer faces of the gears. Interposed between the two gears 14 and 75 for rotating them in opposite directions is a pinion 16 which is mounted on one end of a key actuated shaft 1'! of a tumbler lock 19. Each of the gears 14 has a boss 19 on its inner face which is adapted to project through an arcuate slotBll in the cover plate 19 into a substantially vertical recess 8| in the associated bolt. By thi means, rotation of the gears in opposite directions by the pinion it will cause the bolts 61 and 98 to simultaneously slide in opposite directions;

An equalizing bar 82 may be conveniently interposed between the base and cover plates 69 and 10 respectively for cooperating with the bolts The equalizing bar is preferably provided with two arms 89 which extend within recesses 84 in the respective bolts and have rocking engagement therewith. The rear edge of the equalizer bar is recessed, as indicated at 95, to

aiford a bearing for the rounded forward end of a pinion 86 which is encircled by a compression'spring 81 interposed between abutments 89 and'89 through which the pinion extends. The

theslots is maintained by the spring inengage ment with an upset portion 9| of the pin. The spring is assembled with its abutments under slight compression and, therefore, causes the pin 86 to exert pressure on the equalizing bar 82.

To prevent actuation of the mechanism for simultaneously locking the doors until both of the doors are closed, a pair of oppositely movable stop members 92 are pivotally mounted within the door jamb for respectively cooperating with the doors. Each of these stop members is provided with a head 93 having a laterally projecting lug 94. When the doors are open, the heads of the stop members project through apertures in the adjacent walls of the door jamb and the lugs 94 are then disposed in the paths of movement of offset portions 95 of the vertically movable member 49. Thus when both or either of the doors are in open position, it will be impossible to move member 40 sufiiciently far to rotate member 38 into locking position. However, each of the doors is provided with an immovable portion 96 which is adapted just prior to the door assuming fully closed position to engage the protruding head 93 of the adjacent stop member and force it rearwardly so that the lug 93 thereof will no longer be disposed in the path of movement of the adjacent offset portion 95 of the vertically movable member 40. A spring 9'1 which may be conveniently mounted upon a pin 99 loosely projecting within the lower portions of the stop members 92 may beconveniently employed for causing the heads of the stop members to move outwardly when the doors are opened.

In order that actuation of the reciprocating simultanebolts 6! and 68 will function to not only simultaneously lock the doors on one side of the vehicle but will also function to simultaneously lock the doors on the opposite side of the vehicle, a locking mechanism similar to that which is mounted in door jamb 3 is mounted on door jamb It!) on the opposite side of the vehicle and the two mechanisms are connected by a cable I DI enclosed within a suitable conduit I02.

Like the door locking mechanism in jamb 3, the mechanism in jamb Hi l! has a supporting bracket I93 having a rear wall I34 secured to the jamb and upper and lower front walls I05 and I06 respectively. Interposed between the rear wall I04 and the upper front wall I05 is a locking block I01 which is identical with the locking block 38 and it is mounted upon a shaft I08 which is in all respects the same as shaft 31.

A member I09 somewhat similar to the vertically movable member40 is employed for moving the locking block into and out of locking position, its upper end being provided with Vertically spaced portions H and III identical with the portions 41 and 48 of member 40 and with a slot 2' for receiving the eccentrically disposed pin h or boss II3 of the shaft I98 The lower end of member I89 which is of greatly reduced width is slidably maintained against the lower front wall I06 of the bracket by a suitably shaped member II4. a

The door mechanism mounted in jamb H30 is also provided with stop members H identical with the stop members .82 of the locking mechanism first described, each being provided with a head IIS and a laterally projecting lug II'I. Spring means H8 is employed for maintaining the stop members in such position that, when the doors are open, the lugs II? will be disposed in the path of movement of offset portions II9 of the vertically movable member I89 and thus prevent the latter from moving to such an extent as to cause the locking block I31 to assume locking position. While the doors of the vehicle adjacent the jamb I86 are not shown in the drawings,-it will, of course, be understood that they cooperate with the stop members II5 to move them into inoperative positions when the doors are closed and that the locking mechanism in door jamb Hi8 cooperates with the latching mechanisms of the adjacent doors in the same manner as the locking mechanism first described cooperates with the doors associated therewith.

The conduit IE2 which houses the cable IllI movably connecting the mechanisms on opposite sides of the vehicle is preferably rigidly secured at its opposite ends to the brackets 3| and I63. The cable is connected to the vertically movable member 49 by being interposed between the upper and lower vertically spaced portions 41 and 48 thereof and by being threaded through a notch I23 formed in portion 41 and it is similarly connected to the vertically movable member I69 of the other locking mechanism by being interposed between the upper and lower vertically spaced portions H3 and HI thereof and by being threaded through a notch formedin por tion H0.

In view :of the connection between the vertically movable members 48 and I99 of the-two locking mechanisms which are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the vehicle, it will be perceived that, after the four doors of the vehicle are closed, operation of the bolts 61 and 68, carried by only one of the doors, to induce rotation of member 49 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 1 and 3 will cause an upward vertical movement of member 49 and a downward vertical movement of member I09. Upward movement of member 40 will cause the locking block 38 to move into its horizontal locking position, as indicated in Figure 6, and downward movement of member I09 will cause the locking block I01 to likewise move into its horizontal locking position. Thus actuation of the bolts 81 and 68 by the key operated means heretofore described will simultaneously look all four of the doors of the vehicle against being opened from the outside of the vehicle.

To simultaneously unlock all of the doors of the vehicle, the bolts 67 and 68 are operated so as to rotate member 49 in a counter-clockwise direction from the position indicated in Figure 6 into the position indicated in Figures 1 and 3. Such rotation of member 49 will cause downward movement of vertically movable member 40 and upward movement-of vertically movable member I09, whereby the two locking blocks 38 and I61 are rotated into their vertical inoperative positions.

As each of the stop members 92 of the one locking mechanism and each of the stop members II5 of the other locking mechanism is formed with a lug capable of respectively preventing movement of the vertically movable members 40 and I09 sufficiently far to enable movement of the locking blocks into locking position, it will be perceived that the bolts 61 and 68 are rendered inoperative to actuate the two locking mechanisms until every one of the four doors of the vehicle is disposed in closed position.

While each of the locking mechanisms have been illustrated in the drawings for simultaneously looking a pair of oppositely hinged doors, it will, of course, be understood that each mechanism may be employed to look only a single door and thus the mechanisms may be employed to lock the doors of a two door car as well as the doors of a four door car.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figures 26 to .29, inclusive, the locking mechanism instead of comprising means forv preventing the operation of the latching devices of two adjacent doors from the outside of the vehicle, includes a plurality of locking bolts I2I and I22, respectively, which are mounted in a door jamb in a suitable housing I23. Interposed between the locking bolts I2I and I22 is a pinion I2.5 which is engageable with racks I26 on the locking bolts for projecting them in opposite directions into suitable sockets in the free edges of adjacent doors diagrammatically illustrated at I24 in Figure 23. Rotation of pinion I25 for actuating the bolts is preferably effected by a key operated shaft I 21 having teeth I28 on its inner end in mesh with the teeth of the pinion.

Cooperable with each of the locking bolts is a stop memberl29 for preventing operation of the locking mechanism until both of the associated doors are closed. Each of the stop members is suitably journaled within the housing and has oppositely projecting arms I30 and I3I respectively, arms I30 being adapted to project beyond the edge of the door jamb into the path of movement of the adjacent door and arm I3I being adapted to engage a boss I 32 which may be advantageously formed integrally with the associated bolt. To normally maintain each stop member in a position preventing movement of its associated bolt and, therefore, the operation of the entire locking mechanism, a coil spring I33 may be conveniently employed, one end of which engages the adjacent wall of the housing I23 and the other'end of which engages a'boss I34 formed on the stop member.

To simultaneously lock doors on opposite sides of a vehicle, the locking mechanism illustrated in Figures 26 to 28, inclusive, and indicated as a whole bythe reference numeral I38, is provided with a vertically movable rack I35 which is in I mesh with pinion :25 and is connected by a cable I36 housed within aconduit 131 to a corresponding rack of a locking mechanism I739 mounted onthe door jamb at the opposite side of the vehicle. Locking mechanism I39 is identical with locking mechanism I38 except that; since it is operated each time the latter mechanism is operated, it is not necessary for it to be provided with a key controlled actuating shaft I21.

Like the stop members of the locking mechanisms illustrated in the preferred form of the invention, the stop members of the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 26 to 29, inclusive, function to prevent the mechanisms from operopened from'the outside of the vehicle, means for moving said mechanism into and out of looking position, and means mounted in thejamb preventing movement of said mechanism to lock- 7 ing position while either of said doors are open,

said last named means including a'pair of pivoted members respectively cooperable with said doors, and spring means .for maintaining said pivoted members in operative positions, each of said members beingmovable by the door cooperable therewith as the latter is closed into a position rendering it inoperative to prevent movement of said mechanism into locking position.

4. The improvement in'apparatus for simultaneously locking a pair of hinged vehicle doors whose free edges are adapted to abut an interposed jamb, said improvement consisting of a device mounted on each door for latching it in closed position, mechanism including a rotatable locking block mounted in said jamb for simultaneously preventing the latching devices of both ating until each of the doors on both sides of the vehicle are closed, for it is only then that the arms I3! of the stop members are moved out of the path of movement of the bosses I32 on the locking bolts. V

The present application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application Serial No. 104,212, filed October 6, 1936.

What I claim is: V 1

1. The improvement in apparatus for simultaneously looking a pair of hinged vehicle doors whose free edges are adapted to abut an interposed jamb, said improvement consisting of mechanism mounted in said jamb for simultaneously locking both of said doors against being opened from the outside of the vehicle, means for moving said mechanism into andout of locking position, and a pair of stop members mounted in said jamb respectively cooperable with said mechanism for preventing movement thereof to locked position while said doors are open, said stop members being respectively adapted to be moved by the doors as the latter are closed, into positions rendering them inoperative to prevent movement of said mechanism into locking position.

2. The improvement in apparatus for simultaneously looking a pair of hinged vehicle doors whose free edges are adapted to abut an interposed jamb, said improvement consisting of'movable mechanism mounted in said jamb for simultaneously locking both of said doors against being opened from the outside of the vehicle, key actuated means for moving said mechanism into and out of locking position, and a pair of pivoted stop members mounted in said jamb respectively cooperable with said doors, each of said members being adapted to be disposed in a position preventing movement of said mechanism into locking position when its associated door is open and each being adapted to be moved by its door as the latter is closed into a position rendering it inoperative to prevent movement of said mechanism into locking position.

3. The improvement in apparatus for simultaneously locking a pair of hinged vehicle doors whose free edges are adapted to abut an inter-' posed jamb, said improvement consisting of movable mechanism mounted in said jamb for simultaneously locking both of said doors against being doors from being operated from the outside of the vehicle when the doors are closed, and key operated means mounted on one of said doors for actuating said mechanism.

5. The'improvement in apparatus for simultaneouslyvlocking'a pair of hinged vehicle doors whose free edges are adapted to abut an interposed jamb, said improvement consisting of a device mounted on each door for latching it in closed position, mechanism mounted in said jamb for simultaneously locking the latching devices of both doors against operation from the outside of the vehicle when the doors are closed, a pluralityof meansmounted in said jamb and respectively cooperable with the doors for preventing actuationof said mechanism to locking position until both of said doors are closed, and means carried by one of said doors for actuating said mechanism when the doors are closed.

6. The improvement in apparatus for simultaneously looking a pair of-hinged vehicle doors whose free edges are adapted to abut an interposed jamb, said improvement consisting of a latch bolt mounted on each door, 'a rotatable member mounted on each door for retracting the latch bolt into inoperative position, means on each door adapted to be projected beyond the free edge thereof upon actuation of 'said rotatable member to retract the latchbolt, and movable means mounted on said jamb cooperable with the a tracting said bolt into inoperative position, a

horizontally movable element mounted on each door adapted to be projected beyond the free edge thereof by said rotatable member when the latter is actuated to retract the latch bolt, and a member mounted on said jamb for simultaneous- 1y cooperating with the said movable elements of both doors to prevent said rotatable members from retracting the latch bolts respectively associated therewith.

8. The improvement in apparatus for simultaneously looking a pair of hinged vehicle doors whose free edges are adapted to abut an interposed jamb, said improvement consisting of a latch mounted on each door, a rotatable member mounted on each door for retracting the latch into inoperative position, a movable element mounted on each door adapted to be projected beyond the free edge thereof by said rotatable member when the latter, is actuated to retract the latch, mechanism for simultaneously locking the latch bolts of both doors against retraction .by their respective rotatable members, said mechanism including a movable member mounted on said jamb adapted to cooperate with the said movable element of each door for limiting movement thereof, and means mounted on one of said doors for actuating said movable member.

9. The improvement in apparatus for simultaneously looking a pair of hinged vehicle doors whose free edges are adapted to abut an interposed jamb, said improvement consisting of a device on each door for latching it in closed position, each latching device having a member adapted to be projected beyond the free edge of the associated door when the device is operated from the outside of the vehicle to open the door, mechanism mounted on said jamb for simultaneously locking the latching devices of both doors against operation from the outside of the vehicle when the doors are closed, said mechanism including movable means for cooperating with the said member of each latching device to limit movement thereof beyond the free edge of its associated door and a rotatable member for actuating said movable means, and means mounted on one of said doors for rotating said rotatable member.

10. The improvement'in apparatus for simultaneously looking a pair of hinged vehicle doors whose free edges are adapted to abut an interposed jamb, said improvement consisting of a device on each door for latching it in closed position, each latching device having a member adapted to be projected beyond the free edge of the associated door when the device is operated from the outside of the vehicle to open the door,

. associated door, means movable vertically in said jamb for actuating said movable member and rotatable means in the jamlo for actuating the vertically movable means, and a pair of opposite- 1y movable members carried by one of said doors for selectively rotating said rotatable member in opposite directions.

11. The improvement in apparatus for simuadapted to be projected beyond the free edge of the associated door when the device is operated from the outside of the vehicle to open the door, mechanism mounted on said jamb for simultaneously locking the latching devices of both doors against operationfrom the outside of the vehicle when the doors are closed, said mechanism including a rotatable member for cooperating with the said members of each latching device to limit movement thereof beyond the free edge of the associated door and vertically movable means for rotating said member, and key operated means mounted on one of said doors for inducing movement of said vertically movable means.

12. The improvement in apparatus for simultaneously looking a pair of hinged vehicle doors whose free edges are adapted to abut an interposed jamb, said improvement consisting of a device on each door for latching it in closed position, each latching device having a member adapted to be projected beyond the free edge of the associated door when the device is operated from the outside of the vehicle to open the door, and mechanism mounted on said jamb for simultaneously locking the latching devices of both doors against operation from the outside of the vehicle when the doors are closed, said mechanism including a movable member cooperable with the said members of each latching device t limit movement thereof beyond the free edge of the associated door, means movable vertically in said jamb for actuating said movable member, and a pluralit of stop members respectively cooperable with said doors for preventing movement of said vertically movable means until both of said doors are closed.

13. A system for locking a plurality of doors comprising, in combination, a locking mechanism for each door, means operable from a single station for operating each of said locking mechanisms to lock each door in closed position, and means for disabling the operation of all said locking mechanisms to prevent said doors from being locking in closed position if one or more doors are not in a position to be locked by said locking mechanisms, said disabling means comprising a movable element adapted to project into the path of each door when in open position, and camming devices cooperating with said movable elements to displace the same when the doors are moved to closed position.

. WILLIAM M. BARBOUR. 

